


Et Tu, Brute?

by doctor_could



Category: Pandorria
Genre: A+ Parenting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Brutus is a nerd, First Kiss, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Sexual Content, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, brutus is trying his best, dramatic dante, i did it, they come to an understanding, well a better kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 22:15:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11700954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctor_could/pseuds/doctor_could
Summary: For the lovely Kate who has let me borrow her OCs and write about them falling in love. I tried to stay in line with the cannon I was provided with as much as possible. Thank you again, Kate, for giving me the rights to the split soul idea and allowing me to use your characters. You da best





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Epimemetheus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epimemetheus/gifts).



“3…2…1!” The family in Valdyn countdown to their youngest member coming of age. Only the family knows this celebration is happening, though. In this Upgraded country, things like this are for the family only. This includes weddings, coming of age parties, graduations and anything similar. Their youngest has just turned sixteen and earned their soul mark on the side of their body, right above their right set of ribs. However, that will come later.

Now, with Upgraded countries, there is more to them than private gatherings. Everyone has a New York City mindset, not that anyone alive now knows what a New York is anymore. This means everyone for themselves. The citizens here also thrive off technology. They always have to ask, “What more can we do?” The people here dress light, in color and amount. Most are fair skinned, but the sun has no effect on their skin color. However, the more sun exposure, the more freckles a person develops.

Everywhere someone could go in Valdyn is filled with skyscrapers. Its silver and black flag colors also shine throughout its many cities. The silver never fails to catch the orange and pink sunset, shifting the nation’s buildings into a glittering Van Gogh painting. The metallic hue swirls the colors together as they get reflected from tower to tower. The black of the roads and windows provide a balancing neutral for the dancing colors from the sun. Into the night, the black windows reflect the sky above with the silver, making the entire nation a mirror for the stars that blanket the sky. As the sun rises, the orange and pink return to wake the cities, bringing with it the common blue of a cloudless sky. Despite the immense amount of metal and black, Valdyn is always cool in its cities and towns. It has not been known to get above seventy-five degrees or below fifty degrees. This makes Valdyn one of the happier places on the planet thanks to the amount of sunshine and cool weather the nation gets.

Somewhere else in the world, an entire country is celebrating its newest warriors to its rankings. Magna, a Warrior country, is throwing its monthly party for the citizens who have turned sixteen. They have completed their three years of training and are now ready to join their equivalent of the Spartan army. Drinks are being passed around and down long dinner tables made from whole stretches of trees. The benches along the sides allow for loud conversation and boastful laughter. The sixteen year olds sit at the head of the room so all can see the bright, new soldiers. Their grey skin has permanently been stained generations before them from the air surrounding the country. Different shades of piercing green eyes looked over the cheering crowd. Their skin is smooth for now, but soon they will earn the scars that come so naturally and almost as a rite of passage for the teenagers.

The citizens of Magna are naturally born with a layer of blubber on top of their skin. This particular country is one of the most northern countries around the globe. All must wear thick and heavy clothes to keep warm on top of their natural incubation. Considering they are so high up north, they do not build giant buildings, trying to touch the clouds. They keep their homes close to the ground and near the heat of the planet. This may give the impression of mud huts or something like it; however, the major cities of Magna are paved and painted in glittering gold. It used to remind their ancestors of a majestic realm that once was the center of certain mythological religious practices.

The cities were surrounded by luscious woods and forests, making the second color for the nation easy to choose, forest green. However, as armies grew and people continued to spread out, the green had to be replaced into the buildings and aesthetic of Magna. While the gold made the cities look regal in the daylight, the green hid them from predators and unwanted visitors at night. The camouflage was just an added bonus from the nation looking beautiful.

As mentioned before, these parties are for the citizens turning sixteen and earning their soul marks. With the planet so over populated, souls have been split into at least two pieces. It can be more, but that is the epitome of rare. Not only that, people with more than half of their soul missing, they are more prone to go insane without at least one of their soulmates. The more soulmates you have, the more half circles you get.

Now, with soulmates, not all are romantic and a code has developed because of this. The half circle that a sixteen-year-old gets can be in a range of neutral colors, depending on the skin tone. The people of Valdyn get a tan half circle, like the color of their freckles. The people of Magna get a porcelain half-circle. This is to make sure it can be seen. When someone meets their soulmate, eye contact is all it takes for the excruciating pain to flare up right where the half circle it is. It becomes a whole circle where one of two things can happen: it turns blood red or gold. Red means it is very much romantic. Gold equals platonic soulmates. Once the soulmate dies, the circle turns black, bringing with it extreme sorrow and depression.

There is one more thing, though. On the off chance, someone has already met their soulmate before their sixteenth birthday, they don’t get a half circle. Their full circle comes in on their sixteenth birthday in a staggering silver circle. These people get the great opportunity to feel the Soulmate’s Pain three times in their life. That’s only if they meet their soulmate again. This is such a rare occurrence that silver circles are the thing of high budget movies; that someone’s childhood romance is actually what they are destined for.

Most people call it impossible. How could a person meet their soulmate before turning sixteen and find them again? People move and find new things before adulthood. But one thing that seems to be nonnegotiable is that soulmates always live in the same country; nothing has been found to the contrary. Despite this, it is not impossible. Because things happen and children make friends on family vacations.


	2. Early On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens and families are established

It is September twenty-eighth in the year three thousand eighty-three. In a secluded area of the Magna castle strictly for prisoners, there is a woman giving birth to a bastard child. There is only one maid at her hand. The mother’s grey skin is covered in beads of sweat. Her breathing sounds harsh in the empty cell, and it can be seen in the frigid night air as puffs of white steam. 

The maid keeps telling her to push more, that she can see the top of a head full of black hair. The woman screams and continues pushing for ten seconds and pausing for five. This goes on for hours into the night. Some would say it is early the next morning, or possibly extremely late for the night before when the two women find out it is a bastard son.

He is one of the darkest skin tones available in Magna. His father, the kingdom’s steward, has the same skin color. As the baby cries in the mother’s arms, the mother decides on a name. But before saying it to the maid as her witness, she can’t help but to admire the hair as black as hers. His nose is also a reminder that this is her son. His eyes blink open and their green is nothing she’s ever seen. His tiny hand reaches up and clasps onto a drooping strand of her hair.

She looks up at the maid with a faint smile as he plays. “Brutus Dolori.”

~*~

Everyone is aware of Brutus’s father. At least everyone in the immediate family. That made family dinners the worst place for the boy to be. At as young age, Brutus realized how he was treated by his half-siblings and his mother. As a result, he kept his mouth shut. However, he never stopped striving for his adoptive father’s approval. Sometimes that’s all he had to keep him going.

If I don’t pass this next test, Father will surely disapprove.

He pushed himself every day. This did not make the dinners any easier, though. His father’s bland acceptance was always overrun by the dead stares from everyone else. They sat and ate in silence every night. Brutus kept his head down, so he didn’t see the blank stares of a family who never communicated. 

Once he finished, he stood with a quiet “Excuse me,” and he left for his study, immersing in the things he knew for sure. Brutus had a knack for war tactics and watching the stars. He looked forward to when he finally turned thirteen. He would be able to train and watch the stars out on the field. 

Tonight was one of his sadder nights, though. A storm was over them so no stars would be able to be seen. He lays in his floating bed and thinks of things he could do better. He was limited on time after all, with the impending army training and earning his soul mark.

Brutus focuses on his mother, someone he should have more feelings for, but doesn’t. They never made that mother-son bond, and she never cared enough to try. As for his adoptive father, he’s the only reason Brutus tries so hard. He wants at least one of his three parents on his side if something ever happened to him. His biological father could not give two shits about Brutus, unsurprisingly. He knocked up his mother and hasn’t been a part of his life since. 

However, he keeps going back to his adoptive father. He’d do anything for him to like Brutus, to see him as a son. It’s this night that he makes the decision final. He will stop at nothing to be the best of the best. He will climb the ranks faster than any soldier before him. He will live up to his name.

~*~

It is April first in the year three thousand eighty-five. In the infamous and only forest of Valdyn, a baby is crying in the middle of a field of moss. The tears running down his face were slightly tinted with purple. His skin is fair and almost white. Freckles have already started to show up from the exposure to the sun since he was dropped in a spot without any trees. His hair can barely be seen because not enough of the sandy color has grown in to be able to see it from afar.

A woman with skin rough like bark and as dark as an old oak finds him. She quickly maneuvers the roots of the trees to cover the baby. Flowers dangle from the make-shift shelter and catch the boy’s attention. The crying immediately stops and is replaced with giggling. The flowers close up when stubby, pale fingers brush the petals. The woman watching smiles fondly. By this action, she has now adopted the babe. Gya, she tells people, is her name.

As she walks closer, more of the baby becomes clear. He is naturally a happy child and gurgles up at Gya. His eyes are striking, startling almost. The shade indigo he has symbolizes his position in high society. The tears’ color now made sense with the color of his eyes. He will be hers until he’s grown enough to claim his position in Valdyn. What position that will be, will be up to him to choose when he is of age.

She picks up the little boy and he places a hand on her cheek, his hand is soft like silk against her rough skin.

“My son, you will be called Dante Will Kingsley. People will sing your name in praises across the nation of Valdyn.”

~*~

“Mother Gya, I made you a flower crown.” Dante bows slightly at the hips, offering up a perfectly formed crown. Gya took it gently and placed it on her head. The pleased smile she offered him was enough to make Dante preen. 

“My son, you are avoiding your responsibilities. I do love the crown you have made, but you have not practiced any of your languages today. I know you’re close to achieving fluent Temporrian, as well as ancient Russian.” Dante huffed at her words and rolled his eyes as he walked away.

To this day, Gya will deny the root that appeared to trip Dante to the ground wasn’t her. Dante will never let anyone else believe otherwise. After picking himself back up, he started his daily studies. His mother wanted him to be able to talk to anyone who came to visit their forest. Since the forest in Valdyn is so popular across the world, it only makes sense to listen to her advice and study the world’s languages. Plus a few others just for fun.

Dante wasn’t always this well behaved. He really liked to press his mother’s buttons. All in good fun until he tried to talk back to her. A branch smacked him upside the head with a stern look from Gya. There was no denial to this one. Gya firmly believed in Talk Shit, Get Hit when it came to discipline for her son.

~*~

Brutus is in his last year before he enlists into the Magna army and he’s asked for an extra year of training for his twelfth birthday. His father doesn’t hesitate to say yes and Brutus takes it as a point in his field to get his father’s acceptance. 

They make this a vacation for the family and a training trip for Brutus. They all decide on the ever-changing terrain of the Valdyn forest. When Brutus hears of the choice, he’s ecstatic for the change of scenery. He’s only ever seen his little piece of Magna. As he’s packing two days before his birthday, he can’t help but think how pretty Valdyn will be. It’s one of the few places where even the cities have clear skies to the heavens.

Brutus finishes packing by topping his clothes off with star mapping equipment. He was right that it was going to be a beautiful trip for him, but it wasn’t necessarily the stars that were going to make it that way.


	3. OhHohOHoH

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our boys finally meet! Over 2,000 words for this update and only going to get longer. I used some more of Kate's terminology and twisted it to my liking. I hope it wasn't too out of turn!

Brutus stared up at the sleek black jet that idled on the tarmac. The tiny panels all over its body would activate to camouflage their flight, and Brutus found it fascinating. He shouldered his bag once more and climbed up the steps into the jet. Tomorrow was his twelfth birthday and he wanted to be in Valdyn by then. This way, he would get a full three hundred and sixty-five days of extra training on top of his fellow army recruits.

Brutus took a seat at the back away from the rest of his softly chattering family. By sticking in his earbuds and playing the latest top forty for Valdyn. He was going to be there for a year, might as well be immersed in the culture there. Now he didn’t have to actually try to talk to his family. He gave more of a dreamy stare out his window as they took off.

~*~

Once they arrived, the family stepped off the jet to a hoard of camera flashes and an actual red carpet at the end of the stairs. Journalists and news reporters were yelling all different kinds of questions. It was suspicious how they were on a vacation so close to their son turning thirteen.

Speaking of, Brutus was the only one to be dressed down for the flight. With his black jeans and black running shoes for comfort, he was sure he was also the only one not expecting the royal welcoming. Since Valdyn was about twenty degrees warmer than Magna on a cold day, Brutus got this top that had no sleeves. He wasn’t sure what to call it, since Magna has nothing like it. However, he kept with his theme of black.

From the red carpet, they slid into limos with heavily tinted windows. Their driver took them to a train station. The trip allowed Brutus to get a good look at the towers the Valdyn people called skyscrapers. The stories of the buildings’ metal exterior did not do their beauty justice. The people in the streets wore loose clothing and showed more skin than Brutus had ever seen on another person. They all seemed so confident in how they looked. He self-consciously looked down at himself and his dark grey skin.

When he looked back up, they were at a station made with the same metal as the cities. So far, there were no trees to be seen. The train itself was sleek and black like the jet they had flown here in. Although, it still reflected everything around it like a mirror. The windows were blacked out to give the passengers privacy but they could still see the outside of the window from the inside.

As they stepped out of the limo, someone took their bags and someone else took them to their cabin. Brutus stared in awe at the cabin he was placed in. The ceiling was covered in a mural that looked like it came from over two thousand years ago. It had to be a big name to still be in use now. Gold posts for his bed and gold for the crown molding. The mattress sunk under his weight but not too much. Just right.

The rest of the furniture was made of a dark wood that could have only been imported from Magna itself. The gloss polish was a nice touch and matched the elite look to the room. The only thing that seemed to clash was Brutus. He once again looked down at himself. He didn’t pack anything fancy since he wasn’t going to be a part of the vacation with the family. Maybe he should have for the unexpected fancy travel he was experiencing.

Then again, if he never leaves his room, he won’t have to dress accordingly. So, he settles in for the afternoon in his cabin. Laying on his bed, Brutus listens as the train releases its breaks with a whoosh and the wheels start moving against the tracks. They quickly pick up momentum and soon hit top speed. It takes no less than three hours for them to make it to the Valdyn forest.

Walking into the skyscraper high trees was the closest Brutus has ever been to a wet dream. The nature here was nothing like the nature at home. It was also all the more precious since it’s the only nature in all of Valdyn. There were bright flowers everywhere. The bushes on the forest floor, crawling up the bark of the trees, and the blooming flowers in the trees. Brutus couldn’t stop smiling as he led the march to the camp ground. He’s glad he didn’t choose to wear fancy clothes like his family. That only made his smile brighter.

Once they made it to their designated area, everyone set up their respective tents. Brutus’s had a clear top tent so he could watch the stars before he slept. He could see galaxies and more stars than ever. He had to resist the temptation to pull out his mapping gear in order to sleep. But before he fell asleep he whispered something to himself:

“Happy birthday, Brutus.”

~*~

Brutus woke up with the sun and got dressed in his training clothes. Once again, all black, but now he’s wearing shorts and a flimsy T-shirt. His shoes remain the same from the day before. He fills his water bottle at the camp and stretches before he starts his running. On his way out, he grabs a high protein bar and eats as he runs.

The scenery, as beautiful as it is, doesn’t slow him down one bit. This training is too important to let some pretty flowers distract him. 

After a few hours, Brutus comes to a stop by a fresh water stream. He slows his running as the sound of water gets louder, and looks down at his water bottle to see that it’s empty. If he’s going to keep training, he’ll need to refill.

Brutus stoops by the water and places his bottle in it while keeping an eye on the water level. Behind him, a boy peeks out from behind a tree. He’s about six inches shorter than Brutus but that doesn’t stop him from wandering up to the mysterious grey person at the stream. 

Brutus freezes at the sight of another reflection in the water. The boy is fair skinned like the people of Valdyn but his shoulders and arms are absolutely covered in freckles. He’s also shirtless to show this off. His brown shorts stop at his knees. Looking back up to the boy’s face, Brutus jumps at the intense indigo that stares back at him. He couldn’t look away. Their skin colors in the water contrasted spectacularly. He really could look at them together all day. But finally, he turned around to focus on the boy properly.

There’s an audible gasp from both of them, finally getting a good look at each other. Sandy hair was moving with the breeze freely while black hair was kept back in a bun. The fair skinned boy was also barefoot, looking like he walked out of a fairytale, and to Brutus, he really had.

Brutus stands and tries in his best Valdyc to introduce himself. This earns him a sly smile from the stranger.

“You do not have to try and create political bonds with me, stranger.” Brutus almost falls backwards when the boy talks to him in flawless Temporrian. Then, he sighs in relief because he can talk in his native tongue.

“The name’s Brutus Dolori.” Brutus tries a calm smile and holds his hand out in an offer to shake it. The boy takes it firmly and shakes it once before letting go.

“Just Dante to you. Names have power and you shouldn’t give yours out so willingly to strangers.” A calculating look passed over Dante’s face as he took in the wanna-be-brute in front of him. He was obviously training for something, but he barely looked older than himself.

“What brings you to the Valdyn forest?” Dante is startled out of his thinking by the sudden question. With a tilt of his head, Dante watched the open curiosity on the other boy’s face quickly shift to something self-conscious and awkward.

“I live here,” Dante deadpanned. This boy, Brutus – Dante reminded himself, should have been able to tell that. Or he did, and he was trying to start a conversation. Sometimes the social niceties skipped over him. He’s never met someone out here, so he tried again, “I was left here as a babe and Mother Gya adopted me as her own. This is my home, but I will move back to Valdyn once I can run my own company. What are you doing here?”

“Oh!” Brutus physically brightens at the chance to talk about his training. “Today’s my twelfth birthday and I wished to start training for my county’s army a year early. So, I’m here for the year to buff up before actually starting the Magna regulated training.” Dante actually melts at this. He could envision Brutus tall and strong, and it made him want to see this version of Brutus. Not to mention he was only two years older than Dante.

They sit under a Weeping Willow near the stream and just talk. All day. Brutus talks about the stars and his home country. Dante could drown in the way Brutus’s eyes look when he talks about the sky. Dante talks about Gya and his studies. Then, he talks about the company that should be waiting for him once he’s old enough.

Brutus remembers his training too late to do anything about it because when he does, he has a lap full of Dante’s head and hair. His fingers run through it on their own accord, but Dante doesn’t complain. The strands are so soft that Brutus is sure it relaxes him more than the other. That’s how they stay until the sun goes down and the night brings a slight chill to the air.

When Dante shivers, he looks up at Brutus with sad eyes. Brutus gives him a sympathetic smile, knowing exactly how he feels.

“I’ll come back tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that until I have to leave for Magna. You have my word, Wunderschön.” Brutus threw in some Ancient German for the hell of it then helped Dante upright and standing. They stood together for a few more minutes until Dante grabbed Brutus’s hand, lacing their fingers together.

“You better keep that promise, you big oaf.” Brutus gave his hand a firm squeeze to reassure him. He used that hand, too, to pull Dante in for a tight hug, turning his head to bury his nose into the other’s hair. Dante clung to Brutus’s shirt and clenched his eyes shut. They stayed like that until the stars came out. The moon was almost like a spotlight on their moment.

When Brutus steps back, Dante let out a whine of disapproval. The warmth that Brutus had was calming and kept him warm against the nightly chill. Brutus keeps walking backwards and gives Dante’s hand a final squeeze before his fingers fall out of reach. He goes back into the forest towards his camp and Dante stands under the willow, watching him go.

Dante doesn’t know what this day was or how it went by so fast. All he knew is that he wanted Brutus back. He wanted his arms back around that already strong neck. He wanted to stare into Brutus’s eyes and try to figure out what kind of green that was and if it occurred in nature.

As Brutus was walking back, he was thinking of the way Dante’s hand fit in his perfectly and how his hair slid through his fingers. His voice was something Brutus wanted to record and listen to on his earbuds. He wanted to map the stars in his eyes. It turns there was something beautiful enough in this forest to slow him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wunderschön- fair and beautiful


	4. Good to Not So Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry

Dante did slow Brutus down, but not enough to keep him from training. He woke up earlier than the first day and trained hard before the sun rose. No one really saw how toned Brutus was getting. Everything was so gradual that it was unnoticed.

At the end of his work outs, though, he’d run to the stream. He’d sit there and sip the fresh water until Dante wandered out of the trees. No sooner than seeing Dante’s face, Brutus was hopping up and scooping Dante up into a bear hug. Both of their childish laughter filled the forest as Brutus spun them around.

“Put me down! You smell like body odor and sweat,” Dante barely got out through his laughter. Brutus would set Dante back on his feet with a smile so bright, it rivaled the stars on a Valdyn night. They both stood there with sparkling eyes for a moment. Dante was still glad it hadn’t been a trick of the forest. Brutus was relieved Dante wasn’t bored of him yet. It wasn’t common for someone to want to be in his presence consistently.

Today Brutus couldn’t afford not to add extra training in, so as Dante talked about his home, Brutus listened as he continued to exercise. It wasn’t always like this. There were days that Brutus would coming jogging through the trees and sit under the willow. Dante was pleasantly surprised to see Brutus clean for once the first time he did this.

“What do I owe this pleasure?” Dante sat next to Brutus and promptly laid his head on Brutus’s shoulder. Brutus instinctively wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him in closer. If Brutus saw him blush at the intimacy, he didn’t comment.

“I thought we could do more of that talking thing you like to do so much.” Brutus turned his head to press a fond smile to Dante’s hair. The younger’s eyebrows clenched together in his confusion.

“Was that an insult? Brutus, what the hell?” Sandy hair shook in disapproval under Brutus’s nose while he chuckled softly. The way they sat was a favorite choice among rest days. Although, occasionally, they would return to their position from the first day they met. This is how they spent their days together. Dante did continue to talk, and Brutus continued to listen. He’d add his own stories, too. Stories of the stars.

“Dante, there is nothing in this sky that compares to the way your eyes shine,” Brutus blurted at the end of one of his Ancient Greek tales. Dante looked up that the night sky and thought about what he saw in water’s reflection.

“I don’t know about that, sweetheart. How could they compare to the expanse that’s above us? And I’m not asking to hear you talk, that’s just a bonus.” Dante shifted his eyes to look at Brutus once again. The look in his eyes froze him in his place. There was a small smile spreading on his lips to match his eyes that were full of affection.  
“I have never seen the kind of color that makes your eyes in any galaxy or star dust. They reflect the stars as well as that metal that makes up Valdyn. Your eyes are so full of emotion that it’s impossible for you to hide what you’re feeling. Right now, you’re fascinated, but you’re also scared.” Brutus slid his hands through Dante’s hair and tugged just the way he liked. “There’s nothing to be scared about.” Dante sat up at that, staring at the other like he lost his head. Which he probably had.

“Nothing to be scared about? How could you say that? It is only a few months to April and I’ll be one year older. Then, you’ll only be here for six more months. Don’t you dare say there’s nothing to be scared about, Brutus. The-There’s your soulmate, too. What about them?” Dante scrambled to his feet quickly with Brutus quickly following. The absolute panic was radiating off Dante as he backed away.

“Dante. Please, stay. I didn’t mean to upset you. I can explain.” Brutus extended his hand out in offering. Dante only looked at it with terror.

“I can’t right now, Brutus. I need to be by myself right now. I’ll come back tomorrow, promise.” With that, Dante ran off into the forest, leaving Brutus under their willow in stunned silence with his hand held out to empty space.

~*~

Dante had come back, but he acted like nothing happened. The two boys got back to their regularly scheduled program. Brutus was more careful with what he chose to say in intimate moments. It had become obvious to him that night that Dante had been thinking those things for a while now. But it was also best not to push, since he didn’t want to talk about it.

Dante’s birthday came faster than either of them wanted, but Brutus planned his schedule to land on an off day for April first. The big man was turning eleven and there was a slight under current of This will be the only birthday we’ll spend together. 

Brutus got to the stream early and started making flower crowns for them both. He picked up lilac and primrose on his way to their meeting spot. They seemed fitting for how he was feeling. He carefully started twining the stems to crafting wire he brought with him from the camp. With more time than expected after finishing, Brutus started decorating the trees around them. He had extra flowers so he started placing them strategically around the clearing. When Dante walked out of the trees, everything was decorated to perfection.

“Brutus, baby, what’s all this?” Instead of answering, Brutus walked up and placed the handmade crown on top of his hair. Dante saw the flowers chosen and felt prickling behind his eyes. When he looked up, Brutus was wearing a matching crown. All around them was lilac and primrose. 

“Happy birthday, Dante,” Brutus whispered gently.

~*~

The next six months passed in a blur of laughter, hugs, and silent nights. It’s two weeks before Brutus has to leave and he decides now is the best time to sit Dante down and talk about the dating rules of Magna.

“As you know, once I turn thirteen, I’ll be joining the army and start the required three years of training for all the youth in Magna. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. It’s the soulmate stuff. Wait, wait! Hear me out.” Brutus placed a hand over Dante’s already protesting mouth. “There are strict rules in place. The reason I’m not worried about my soulmate now is because we aren’t allowed to even contemplate them before we get our soul mark.

“This has come up because it’s so rare to get a soulmate in anywhere but your country. The default is that they are in the army with you so there’s no reason to go looking until you’re officially in it.” Dante stared up at him with a blank face. Well, sure, it made sense enough, but it still confused him. So, Dante did the only thing he knew best.

“If your soulmate is better looking than me, I never want to see you again.” A playful look glinted in Dante’s eyes as Brutus huffed in teasing frustration.

“Babe, I’m trying to be serious here.” Dante rolled his eyes at the comment. If he knew anything, it was that he couldn’t be serious when it involved his feelings. That would mean he’d have to be vulnerable in front of someone other than Gya. He changes the subject quickly, though.

This conversation doesn’t dampen their feelings for each other. Brutus keeps training and showing up at the stream. However, it seems that Dante has run out of things to say. They sit in silence most of the day until they say goodbye. Brutus takes it as coping, but he doesn’t want the last few days to be uncompanionable.

~*~

Four days until Brutus’s departure and they’re finally back to talking. It’s a day off so they’re sitting happily under their favorite willow. Brutus finishes up on a story of Ancient Rome and Dante looks up from his spot on the other’s shoulder. His hand rests gingerly on a grey knee as he pushes up closer. Dante breathes out a silent sigh when their noses brush together.

Brutus’s hand comes to rest on Dante’s jaw. He gets slightly distracted by the color contrast but he’s quickly brought to focus when he feels someone else’s breath on his lips. His tongue poked out to wet his own lips and brushes against Dante’s at the same time. The slight gasp that came from both boys shocked them into action. They pressed forward through that last breath of space and pressed soft lips to slightly chapped ones.

The kiss they shared didn’t have tongue. It wasn’t heated either. It was tentative and sweet. Neither of them knew what to do anyway. For a first kiss, though, it was perfect. When they pulled apart, something clicked in Brutus and he pushed away from Dante quickly. He was murmuring something about being a disappointment to his family. Dante is almost completely on his back from the push, startled into a frozen picture of confusion.

“Why would you do that?” Brutus was yelling now. “I told you about the soulmate thing! Did you think that meant we were allowed to have other love interests?” Dante said nothing as tears started to fall down his cheeks. They were tinted purple. “I trusted you,” Brutus said with a deadly whisper. He then stormed out of the clearing without looking back.

Dante didn’t know this at the time, but it wasn’t his fault Brutus got so upset. He never shared stories of his family like Dante did. However, for now, Dante could only blame himself for the reaction. He chalked it up to being turned down and Brutus didn’t actually feel the same way as he did.

~*~

Unlike when Dante got upset, Brutus doesn’t come back to the clearing. Dante waits and waits for the next four days for Brutus to come running through the trees, hot and sweaty with an apology rolling off his tongue for being late.

As the sun rises on the fifth day, Dante knows it’s over. It finally hits him. It starts with slight rocking in his Gya made shelter. Next, the purple tinted tears fall down his face. Then, the trees around him get annoying. He starts ripping them apart, tearing down the flowers that cover the trunk and mutilating the leaves at the top. Dante tore through the moss in and surrounding his home. Heartbreaking screeches came from deep inside him as his own heartbreak was shared with the things around him.

He continues this for so long that the forest doesn’t have any tourists or campers for months. He’s forced to stop by Gya because he’s not letting anything grow back before he tears it apart again. He is isolated by Gya to calm down without the opportunity to spread more destruction. 

Valdyn slowly started getting visitors again to its forest, but they always avoid the area of the forest crumpled to the ground. When Dante emerges from the forest to take his company, he is numbed to his core. He is fourteen when he becomes the head of the biggest hand-held technology company in Valdyn.

The only day he ever takes off is September twenty-eighth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lilac- first emotions of love
> 
> Primrose- young love


	5. Fast Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *finger guns*

Today is Brutus’s sixteenth birthday. He was born in the middle of the day, so he knows he has time from the moment he wakes to the moment his Soul Mark comes in. He goes through the motions of a quiet breakfast in his study and making his way to the training field. With basic armor, Brutus looks like everyone else – his royalty status notwithstanding. He sets up for sparring with a sword and a happy birthday from his opponent.

Before he can even get three blows in, there’s an intense burning coming from his hand. Brutus drops his sword and falls to his knees. Everyone around him is whispering in concern, circling around the sparring ring to view what has happened. There hadn’t been a blow to his hand, but he was left near screaming from the extreme pain.

Slowly, it started to narrow into one spot. The pinprick of pain focused on the inside of his right ring finger. The silver circle stood bright and proud against his grey skin. Seeing this, Brutus stood and excused himself back to his home. He couldn’t quite put two and two together as to why he had gotten a silver circle, instead of his ripped half white one. He had met so many people since he turned thirteen that he was going to have to start early the next day to find his soulmate.

~*~

The year thirty-one hundred one has been the best so far for Dante’s company. April starts the second quarter and he is preparing for it by firing all the shit heads from the first one. His secretary has set up the meetings accordingly and is getting ready to start sending them in when she gets a call from her boss’s office. 

“Manjra, cancel everything for the day. I don’t want to see anyone, and I don’t want to talk to anyone today. Push everything to tomorrow.” His voice was strained and teetered on hysterical. She gave him the affirmative and set to doing just that.

Inside the office, Dante sat at his desk hunched over himself. He cradled his right hand to his chest as the unfamiliar pain burned like hot coals through his veins. Hesitantly, he glanced down. On the inside of his right ring finger stood his absolute worst fear. The silver circle decided what he feared all those years ago. Just a child, he couldn’t hope. Now, he knew better.

Dante took his lunch break to walk to a jewelry store down the street. When he asked for the Mourning collection, no one questioned why he needed it. Plenty of sixteen year olds came to buy a Mourning ring. 

He slid the black band over his finger as he left the store and headed back for his building. If his secretary noticed the new ring, she didn’t mention it.

~*~

Fast forward to the year thirty-one hundred seventeen. Brutus is now the ripe age of thirty-four and now a general of the army. Of course, his search during his youth turned fruitless. He was also no longer a boy in training. He has a broad stroke of a scar across his face from his left side of his hairline down to his chin. Plus, from his right ear to across his cheekbone is a scar to match the other. There’s a more prominent one on his lips on top of the first one. His body has memories of war from his collarbone down. There is barely any area of skin that is more than five inches without a scar. He has also earned piercings in his ears over time. Then a single piercing to just above his chin.

Right now, Brutus is in Pandorria as a representative from Magna. He was sent to attend a diplomatic event in the capitol as part of his military ranking. He’s getting ready and keeps glancing at himself in the floor length mirror on his hotel bathroom door. His suit is a tailored black velvet and synched perfectly to his waist and shoulders. His shirt was a thin material, but also black. He struggles with the cuff links; their tarnished silver color will be the only thing that shines on him besides his shoes. Those have been polished to be reflective as diamonds.

Brutus finally ties his tie around his neck; the slim black accessory barely a shade darker than his shirt. Looking at his hair, the top had grown significantly since his last cut. He makes the bold choice to part it all to the right for the night. With one last tug to his suit jacket, he heads out for the night.

~*~

Dante had only turned thirty-two the month before and he already had a peace-making event in Pandorria. He’s currently trying to push his bangs back with enough gel to keep them there. Once that’s done, he starts to button up his transparent pastel blue shirt. His multitude of freckles and nipples can easily be seen through the material. He tucks it into his pressed and form fitting cream suit pants. Dante playfully tweaks his nipples so the harden slightly under the shirt before sliding on his suit jacket. With the button in middle, he successfully covers the majority of his torso and chest.

He buttons the ends of his shirt sleeves and decides against the tie. Instead, he unbuttons his shirt four buttons, exposing all the way down his sternum. Dante delicately picks up his most recent splurge, a custom-made septum piercing. The actual ring was thin and pure silver. Along the bottom were three diamonds in the center and one spike on each end. Once the jewelry is in, he slips the black ring from his sixteenth birthday into its place and puts in his earrings.

With one more push to his hair, he heads out for the night.

~*~

At the event, Brutus is the center of attention. His reputation proceeds him greatly. People ask him questions of the fighting in Magna and if his soulmate will be at the event. He sadly states he doesn’t know who his soulmate is and changes the topic. People bring him drinks. It takes a lot to even get a buzz, but Brutus doesn’t mind indulging. He takes each flute of champagne with a polite smile and sips it throughout the night.

When Dante arrives, he heads straight for the complimentary bar. He keeps his head down and doesn’t pay attention to anyone or who they flock to. Less people to bother him. He tells the bartender to surprise him and sips on the drink placed in front of him.

Hours pass and Dante doesn’t sit at the bar the whole time. A dance floor somehow formed in the middle of the room and he couldn’t help himself. He slid into the middle of it and lost himself in the beat and people for a few more hours.

Brutus stayed by the sidelines as the dancing started. People were still talking to him and thanking him for his service. This is supposed to be a diplomacy trip after all.

Taking notice of the lightening crowd, Dante decides to head out, but before he leaves to get his suit jacket, he takes a sweeping look over the remaining guests. He stops on tall, dark, and handsome, sliding his eyes up and appreciating the view. Brutus feels someone staring and turns in the direction of the tugging. Indigo meets green.

This time, Brutus does scream and once again grips his hand. Tears fall down Dante’s face because he would know those eyes anywhere. He doesn’t even flinch when his circle burns under his ring. He yanks his ring off, though. His circle has turned a shade of red so dark that it takes the catch of the light to make sure it’s not black.

When Dante looks back up, Brutus is in front of him, panting and holding his right hand to his chest. But being out of breath is from the adrenaline and pain, not from Brutus running across the ball room. His eyes shine with a hopeful gleam. Dante can’t tell if the room is silent or if it’s the blood rushing in his ears keeping the sound out.

Tears are still streaming down his cheeks when he slaps Brutus clean across his face.


	6. Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talking happens

_Smack!_

If the ball room wasn’t silent then, it definitely was now. Brutus’s neck had been twisted by the force of Dante’s hand. For someone quite literally a foot shorter than him, Dante packed a punch.

Dante’s purple tinted tears were still running rivulets down his face as Brutus looked back at him. Brutus had placed his unmarked hand against his cheek, the stinging leaving a quiet hum of pain through his skin. His vibrant green eyes were dulled by the sadness and hurt the slap sent through his heart.

“I’m sorry,” Brutus says barely above a whisper. Dante hears it clear as day in the startling quiet room.

With a firm nod and a practiced award-winning smile, Dante turns for the door. On his way out, he takes his suit jacket and puts it back on. By doing this, he shields himself from the onslaught of emotions coming from the man quickly following him.

The doors slamming closed behind him are only a soft thump over his beating heart. When Dante feels a hand on his arm, he is fast to yank it away with a snarl rumbling through his chest. The hand tries again, firmer this time, and Dante turns with fury igniting the already saturated indigo of his eyes.

“ _What?_ ” Dante can barely contain the volume of his voice. “What is it, Brutus? I don’t have time for your games.” The hallway they’ve stopped in is void of anyone but them.

Brutus keeps his hand on Dante’s forearm as he speaks, feeling the other shake beneath his hand. “This is not a game, Dante. We’re soulmates.”

“I know. I’ve known since this retched circle showed up.” Dante can feel the useless anger draining out of him. “I was settled not knowing you again. Then…you show up here two decades later thinking this is a revelation?” Brutus is stunned. It really hadn’t occurred to him that Dante was his soulmate. He chalked it up to young love. However, his memory is a scared twelve-year old’s version of what happened.

They had kissed and he panicked. The last four days he trained in different parts of the forest, not thinking about how this had affected Dante. “Dante, I freaked out. That doesn’t excuse how I treated you afterwards. I know. I didn’t know what I was feeling, and I couldn’t become more of a disappointment to my family. If they had known I was having romantic feelings for someone who I didn’t know as my soulmate, my life would have become more of a hell on Magna more than it already was. I am so sorry for how things happened. I’m sorry for breaking your heart.”

As Dante listened, actually listened, he stared down at his Soul Mark. The people who studied these things say that the richer the red, the stronger the feelings were. In their case, then, their romantic feelings for each other would become something of envy. The passion they could have would be unmeasurable.

Dante looked up when Brutus finished. After a deep breath, Dante let him look at his Soul Mark. This sealed his decision. By showing the soulmate a Soul Mark, it signified trust between the partners. Brutus holds his hand out without hesitation for Dante to see the exact replica of his own Soul Mark.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Dante says.

He takes Brutus’s hand and leads him out of the building into the chilly night air. Brutus slots their fingers together once they’re outside and lets Dante lead them around the city. After a few minutes of hushed footsteps on the sidewalk, Brutus gives in.

“I think I cried the entire plane ride home when I left Valdyn,” he says. Dante lets out a soft chuckle from the confession.

“If we’re confessing, I was the reason the Valdyn forest didn’t have tourists for months. Gya had to restrain me to keep from doing permanent damage to the flora and fauna.”

It was a serious statement, but Brutus couldn’t help but laugh. That sounded just like Dante. They continued like this the rest of the night. They laughed as they caught each other up on the last twenty years. Dante was more than a little impressed with Brutus’s military ranking. Brutus couldn’t believe that the phone in his jacket pocket was designed and produced by Dante’s company. As the night stretched out, Brutus saw Dante shiver from the lack of sun in the sky and heat in the air. This was a familiar cue from their childhood.

“Let me walk you home,” Brutus says, wrapping a strong arm around Dante’s slender waist. Dante couldn’t help but lean into the furnace holding him. He didn’t say anything to Brutus’s request, but started walking him towards his hotel.

The city is pretty and reflects the stars well. It makes Dante miss home. Brutus seems entranced, though. He probably doesn’t see much like this when fighting. Dante looks over the scars that he can see. An unrecognizable feeling bubbles in his stomach at the thought of someone hurting _his_ warrior.

They arrive back to the hotel faster than Brutus would have liked. However, they stand in front of the doors; both of Brutus’s arms wrapped around Dante’s waist. Fair, freckled hands rest on Brutus’s chest in stark contrast to his fully black suit.

“Just so you know, I’m not sorry for slapping you,” Dante teases. A slight smirk curls his lips at the end of his words. Then, he leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Brutus’s cheek. Brutus hand to lean down some for it to work, but he smiled nonetheless.

It was a safe bet, not knowing what Brutus would do. Dante honestly didn’t think that the next thing he would be feeling would be Brutus’s lips on his. His eyes widened slightly before closing with a quiet hum of approval. The kiss was closed and only fueled by pure intentions. Despite that, it sent shocks through both their bodies. They both recognized the feeling of their pieces of a soul finding each other.

When Brutus broke the kiss, he scooped Dante into a bear hug, nearly lifting his feet off the ground. Dante’s toes were the only things keeping him steady beside Brutus’s tight hold. Brutus had his face buried in the other’s neck as Dante nuzzled his nose into his hair. They stayed there, breathing each other in. It was almost physically painful to let go.

“Tomorrow, can I meet you at the hotel’s café for lunch?” Brutus sounds hopeful, the look was the same one Dante saw on his face in the ball room.

“Like you even have to ask.” Dante pecks Brutus’s lips once more before stepping out of his hold. “Good night, baby.” A final wave was given as Dante went inside.

Brutus will deny that he actually danced in the middle of the sidewalk. What he will admit is the way his heart fluttered when Dante called him baby.


	7. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a chapter!

The next afternoon, Brutus has the front desk call up to Dante’s room. As he waits, he tugs at the edge of his black V-neck and the folded over half of his overalls. They’re ripped at the knees and also black. It’s his theme. Even his Chucks are fully black. When he sees Dante come off the elevator, Brutus subconsciously adjusts his choker to have the chain in the back.

He sweeps his eyes over Dante with unhidden desire. Dante’s white tank top had the sides fully open to his hips and cut-off light wash shorts peaked out from under the oversized top. Matching his shirt was a pair of white vans.

“Well, don’t you look lovely,” Brutus says as he extends his hand out to Dante. Dante takes it with a slight blush. The pinks of his cheeks darken when Brutus kisses his knuckles.

“You’re quite beautiful yourself, baby. It’s nice to see you in something that’s casual and not work out clothes.” Once again, their fingers intertwine and Dante leads him to the hotel’s café. They get seated quickly since it’s a slow time of day. Their hands part when they sit down, but Brutus holds out his hand again and Dante immediately takes it, giving a small squeeze.

“I guess I better cut to the chase: Dante, will you try this soulmate thing with me? I really feel like we could make something of it,” Brutus starts.

“Yes, Brutus, yes. But before we can really set anything in stone, you need to meet my mother. I’ll…meet your parents, too, if you want me to,” Dante continues.

“I’m sort of estranged from my family. Plus, it’d be an honor to meet Gya,” Brutus ends.

They finish their lunch talking about more things that had happened since Brutus left the forest. Of course, one night wasn’t enough to get through everything. Then, they make plans that at the end of the week, once the Pandorria diplomacy trip was over, they’d both go back to Valdyn.

~*~

Things went back to normal except the two exchanged phone numbers. Dante was quite amused that Brutus used his own tech, though. The party was their only event together, so the whole week was them texting each other updates about how boring or humiliating the meetings they had to go to were. On top of that, they didn’t have any free time line up with their schedules either. So, that meant at night Dante sent suggestive texts to Brutus.

_Hey, baby, I’m sorry to hear your day was so stressful. You want to know how I’d relax you before bed? ;) –D.K._

_Welcome back from your shower! I bet your skin tastes delicious right now. –D.K._

And sometimes, he’s not so subtle.

_How big is your dick? How much practice would I need to swallow it all? –D.K._

_Are you a vers? Please tell me you’re not a power bottom. –D.K._

Brutus would chuckle and sort of reply to the more invasive ones. If he was slightly blushing at each question, he didn’t tell Dante. That would only make the fucker smugger.

When Saturday comes, they’re both slightly pent up on sexual tension. They keep it in their pants, surprisingly, on the flight back to Valdyn. However, they do cuddle the entire way back in one of those beds they keep in first class. Dante had his head on Brutus’s chest with his hand resting on his ribs. It was sort of surreal to feel him breathing again. It had felt out of his reach ever since they split. Brutus had his arm draped over Dante’s back, sometimes drawing swirls and curves against the thin fabric covering Dante’s skin.

It takes them awhile to untangle after they land on the tarmac. This is due to neither of them wanting to get up. It was Dante’s plane anyway. He could say there as long as he wanted.

It’s a vaguely familiar car trip and train ride for Brutus. Everything seemed the same, but it was like seeing it for the first time again. This was his soulmate’s home. It meant more to him now than just some training ground. Not to mention the warm hand in his was a significant addition to the view. Oh, and meeting his future in-law. That’s cool too.

What is different, though, is where Brutus enters the forest with Dante. It’s a part he’s never seen before, and it’s clear that no one has but Dante and Gya. They step into a breathtaking clearing. Flowers wrap around the trees and bloom in the bushes. The trees held violets and the bushes contained peach roses. When Dante saw the flowers Gya had placed for them, he turned the shade of the red roses that carefully outlined the path into the clearing.

“Mother Gya, I have brought my soulmate to meet you. It is the boy from my childhood.” Dante talks to the air, and soon after, a beautiful woman with skin of bark glided to meet them.

“My son,” Gya starts by taking Dante’s face in her hands, “I told you things would find their way to fixing your heart.” She then turned to Brutus with a hard look in her eyes. “You. Brutus Dolori, you broke my son’s heart all those years ago. What are you doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again?”

Brutus bowed when he was addressed and raised just barely to make eye contact when speaking. “I will use everything in my power to right the wrongs I have made against Dante. I want to love him until my heart is no longer beating. Then, I’ll make it my goal to find him in every lifetime afterwards.”

The answer satisfied Gya enough for her to smile kindly. She cupped his face in turn to say, “You have my blessing, Brutus Dolori.”

At Gya’s words, both men felt a pleasant warmth hum through their marked fingers. With the approval of a soulmate’s guardian, the bond could be completed. When they glanced down, the red circles were glowing a ruby red, signifying the Soul Mark’s own approval.

Gya faded back into the trees and Brutus picked up Dante by his thighs, holding onto him tightly where his thighs and ass meet. Dante took the hint and wrapped his legs around Brutus’s waist and his arms around Brutus’s neck.

“You know, it’d be rude to ignore the beautiful scenery Gya left for us,” Brutus says. Dante’s fingers slide through the short hair on the back of Brutus’s head.

“Baby, I think you’re right,” Dante agrees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Violets - faithful love  
> Rose, Peach - congratulations  
> Rose, Red - love


	8. Make Me Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last installment to the fic for Kate!
> 
> Title comes from Make Me Better by James Blunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not reread before posting so I'm sorry if things seem weird or typos show up

_You made me worry without any warning_

After their agreement, Brutus knelt down in the flowers and laid Dante down. His arms bracketed in the smaller man on either side of Dante’s head. Brutus’s muscles bulged slightly as he leaned in and started softly kissing his Bonded mate. 

Dante easily slid his hands into his mate’s hair, using light pressure to keep him in place. They stayed like that for a while, taking in the thrum of peace going through their bodies. Their split souls had finally come together and were singing with approval.

_Let me just lie here, drown in your eyes, dear_

With an easy push, Dante rolled them over so he could sit back on Brutus’s hips. They held eye contact that showed each other just how much they were loved. Their eyes shining with desire and something a little more innocent, something like fondness. 

Dante leaned down with a stubborn idea of kissing over every scar Brutus had. He started with the left side of Brutus’s face, placing gentle kisses over the raised and pale skin where he had taken the hardest hits. Brutus only held onto Dante’s sides with quiet hums of pleasure from the caring treatment.

 By the time Dante made it to the neck scars, he could feel the prickling warmth of the sun coming through his clothes. He was sure if it wasn’t for the fabric, he’d be getting more freckles to add to the others across his skin.

_You made me hungry for your body, babe_

That was about the time that Brutus pushed Dante’s leather jacket off and slid his cool hands under Dante’s shirt. The feeling sent a full force of goosebumps all over his skin, and he shivered from the touch. A smirk spread on Brutus’s face from the reaction. 

It was like Gya could tell what was happening because flowers were growing rapidly around them. It was that, or it was Dante making them grow from the absolutely feeling of love flowing through his veins for the man underneath him. 

Brutus dipped his head and nipped Dante’s collarbone with the smirk he was sporting. Dante’s gasp spurred something in Brutus’s chest and he did it again and again until he was just biting and sucking the tender skin across the other’s neck. 

_Baby, I did you wrong. Let’s make up for the time we’ve wasted_

As Dante’s neck and collarbone became a dark purple from the attentive teeth attached there, he began to untuck and push up Brutus’s shirt, running his hands up and down the military toned core muscles and dragging his blunt nails occasionally. 

Once the shirt came off, Brutus pushed up for more kisses. He stayed propped up on his elbows as Dante took his time unbuttoning his own shirt. Brutus could already see peaked nipples through the shirt, but he wanted to taste, not just stare. Finally, the shirt slid off Dante’s shoulders, and Brutus could get a full view of the pale skin decorated admirably by freckles of a lifetime outside in the Valdyn forest. 

Pants were next for the two men. Dante took some time trying to figure out the complex belt around Brutus’s waist. Brutus found it amusing when he got Dante’s pants off to see he wasn’t wearing any underwear. However, that gave him extra time to enjoy the view he had, supplemented by the sun backlighting the man on top of him.

Dante barely noticed the staring because he was staring too. It was one thing to imagine the physique under the clothes and another to actually see it. Muscles were tensing then relaxing with every breath. The grey skin on display was covered in so many scars that there was no way he’d be able to get to all of them this round. But it was so beautiful, having Brutus like this. He could be seen and loved and cherished by the one person _made_ to do so. 

_You are everything I have never been_

Brutus rolled them back over. The feeling of the soft flowers against Dante’s back was heavenly, but not as heavenly as the sight of three fingers being sucked on in Brutus’s mouth. When they left Brutus’s mouth, they were so thoroughly slick, that a thin line of spit followed the tips of his fingers. 

Dante spread his legs at the sight. Brutus clearly saw it as the go ahead and slowly, oh, so slowly, started to slide the first finger inside. It was easy to relax for Brutus. Dante trusted him with all his being. As slow as Brutus was taking the prep, it went faster than what it could have been if Dante wasn’t already woozy from the kissing and love bites. 

Three fingers slipped out of Dante and he couldn’t hold back an anticipatory moan for what was to come next. He was not disappointed. From the sight of Brutus slicking himself with more spit and precum to the actual feeling of being filled by his soulmate. 

_And I’ve been wondering why you let me in_

Everything was slow with Brutus, but it felt so, so good. He knew where all the right spots were and he hit them with just the right amount of force. It made Dante grab onto Brutus’s shoulders and dig his nails in. The blubber made it almost impossible for him to give any serious damage, which made it all the better. 

He was not afraid to show his appreciation either. He had a good set of lungs and Dante was not going to hold back. The moans escaping his mouth were award winning. Not that Brutus needed an ego boost in this area, it was still nice to know he could please his soulmate so well. 

_I am so glad that I’ve caught you in time_

They kept this pace of Brutus knowing Dante’s sweet spots and Dante letting him know just how good he was doing. It could have been thirty minutes, ten hours, or two days; Dante didn’t know. But it felt fantastic, like coming home to a hot meal and his favorite show on TV while Brutus poured them sniffers of whiskey. 

The heat in Dante’s stomach was starting to build. He wrapped his arms firmly around Brutus’s neck, panting heavily as he shared just how close he was. It wasn’t until then that Brutus took Dante’s cock in hand and stroked him once, twice, three times before Dante shouted and released all over Brutus’s hand and his own stomach. 

Brutus thrusted a few more times until his hips stuttered and he came inside Dante. He let out strings of his own moans as Dante clenched his hole around Brutus. Once Brutus pulled out, he laid down next to Dante and took his soulmate’s hand in his clean one, lacing their fingers together.

The flowers continued to grow and covered their naked bodies, giving them privacy and the alone time the rightfully deserved.

_I want you to make me better_


End file.
